Bonfires and Bobbing

Pumpkins need parmesan 🎃🧀

Greetings, Ciderling!

Did you know it’s National Apple Day this Monday  21st October? Not to be confused with International Eat An Apple Day. That was on September 21st. Bignose almost certainly ate an apple that day. Beardy almost certainly didn’t. He'd definitely remember…in case you missed it, he’s allergic to apples in their raw unjuiced form.

Unlike all those new trendy “days”, Apple Day was started 34 years ago by Common Ground to raise awareness of the importance of orchards and the traceability of food. Luckily, we know where all our apples come from. So much so, we even name some of our batches after the orchards and their owners. [ 

🎁 C-ya on 1st November

We know it’s too early to drop the C-word (no, we don’t mean “Cider”). In our book it should be illegal to even mention it before Halloween’s done and dusted. So we’ll wait til next time.

But just a heads-up, we’ll open up our Bignose and Beardy C-shop on 1st November. And for one week only, you’ll get 15% off everything in it. Well worth getting organised early. 

👻🍎 Spooky season is upon us

It’s that time of year where far-too-old teenagers put on a £1.89 plastic monster mask, knock on the doors of strangers, and beg for free food.

Are you a fan? We only recently learnt the etiquette. Apparently if you leave a pumpkin outside your house, you’re asking for it. If you don’t want anyone to knock on the door, don’t put a pumpkin out. No guarantees they won't still knock, of course.

Don’t be fooled by the “leftover pumpkin recipe” brigade, by the way. If you buy a pumpkin that’s been grown for carving, it’ll be watery and tasteless. Might be good enough for a risotto if you whack in some onions, sage, and half an imperial tonne of parmesan. You’re much better off composting your old pumps or donating them to your local animal shelter for the livestock. Ours will go to Bignose’s pigs. They also get the leftovers after we juice the apples. Lucky lil piggies.

Does anyone bob for apples anymore? It seems a bit…ill-advised since all the germy business we’ve had since 2020. We’ll pass on that one, ta. A less contagious way to do it is to string up individual apples on a washing line and get people to try and eat their apple without using their hands. Keeps the saliva contained.

If we sound a bit bah-humbug about Halloween (or whatever the spooky equivalent is…”BOO-humbug”?) we’re just sulking. It was our last tap night of the year last Friday, and we had such a great time. We’re sad we don’t get to gather together again until the January Wassail.

Look how lovely it was…

The Wassail will be a bit less “sit down and relax” than tap nights, and a bit more “walk around shouting and waving fire”. Get your tickets early here.

If you’re an all-weather cider drinker, why not warm it up with our mulling kits?

Keep your fingers (and cockles) warm with a cupful on bonfire night. You can take the theme even further by baking apples in tinfoil on a campfire.

But we should probably include the disclaimer that fire is hot and when you put things in fire those things also get hot.

🎟️ Stay subscribed…

Quick reminder, our October prize winner will receive a mixed 12-pack of our newest ciders This Little Piggy and I’m Still Standen. Do literally absolutely nothing to stay in the draw.

🍻 Cidery Tour

And another quick reminder we’ve stuck in a Saturday date for the cidery tour - 16th November.

🚜🍏 Apple appeal

The apple appeal closes this Sunday 20th October. After that point we’ll shut down the press for the year. Thank you so much to everyone who donated their apples in exchange for some cider. We’ve pressed 6,750 Litres so far. Just the one picking day left this Saturday and then on Sunday we’ll press on with the final pressing. A very busy, bicep-busting weekend ahead.

Have a good one, whatever you’re up to.

Cheers!
BN&B